The Mingus Union High School track and field team competed in the Verde Valley for the final time of the 2017 season at the Sedona Invitational on April 18.
Some Marauders who have already qualified for the Arizona Interscholastic Association Division III State meet participated in off events to break up the monotony of the season. Some boys were placed into such events in order to focus on qualifying in the 4×800-meter relay.
“I told the guys they have to run hard, they have only have three meets left to do it,” Marauders head coach Yancey DeVore said. “And they ran pretty hard.”
The team of seniors Ryan Alexander and Keegan Cain, junior Jon Ulibarri and sophomore Dallin Gordon won the event in a time of 8:33.62, but was still just over five seconds short of an automatic qualifying time.
Standing out for the girls was junior Hannah DeVore, who turned in two season-best times in her strongest events, the 100- and 300-meter hurdles. DeVore was second in the 100 hurdles in 16.53, a personal best, and second in the 300 hurdles in 48.07.
The times situated her seventh best in Division III in both events.
DeVore also took third in the 100-meter dash [13.38] and eighth in the long jump [15-01.50].
Sophomore Meg Babcock took fifth in the 400-meter run in 1:03.35 and sixth in the 1,600-meter in 5:45.22. Babcock holds the seventh-fastest 800-meter time in Division III, but did not compete in the event.
Senior Kendrew Streck claimed a personal best in the discus with a throw of 129-08, good for fifth place. He was fourth in the shot put, throwing 41-09.5.
Alexander ran in the 200-meter dash, an off event, tying with freshman Lucas Doerkson for 12th place with a time of 24.94.
“It’s been pretty good, I’ve enjoyed it a lot,” Doerkson said. “The team has been getting better by the day. We’re getting a lot of PRs, getting ready for state.”
Junior Jonathan Jung won the high jump in a personal best 6-01 and took fourth in the 100 in 12.01.
On the girls side, freshman Zoe Arwine competed in the 200-meter dash for the second time this season, turning in a time of 30.34.
Junior Mackenna Jung was 12th in the 400 in a season best 1:10.17 and seventh in the 100 in 14.26. Jung, Arwine, senior Maria Meacham and junior Katelyn Prouty combined to take sixth in the 4×100-meter relay.
Meacham was fifth in the triple jump at 31-06.50 while Prouty took seventh with a leap of 30-04 and 10th in the 100 in 14.45.
Senior Auli Hanks finished fifth in the high jump by clearing the 4-06 mark and was 11th in the long jump at 14-06.
